A new dawn to mark the awakening of the soul

It was an evening reminiscent of the dawn. On Saturday, the plush lawns of the magnificent Raj Bhavan came alive with the sights and sounds of ‘bihan’ or the dawn. The cultural evening, organised by Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, ministry of Culture, Government of India, gave a peek into the many sides of the resident of this historic address, Hon’ble

Governor

of West Bengal

Keshari Nath Tripathi

, who not only served as an advocate, but is also a well-known author and poet.

The event began after everyone observed a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack. After professor of Urdu Zarina Zarin recited a translated poem by the Governor, actor Ekavali Khanna shared how she was floored by the very first poem in the book that she came across.

Ekavali recited My Mother’s Hem, an English translation of Tripathi’s poem and another, Deception, much to the delight of the audience. Arindam Sil, who recited Porichoyheen Ei Shohor, a translated Bengali poem, said, “If all of us have true poetry in our hearts, the world will be a better place to live in.”

Culturist Sundeep Bhutoria’s rendition of the poem, Gaon Ka Amantran, was met with a loud round of applause. The refrain — Koi mujhe bula raha hai gaon, main yahan rahoon toh kis liye — lingered on in the minds of the listeners long after the event came to a close.

While poetry added a sublime touch to the evening, another highlight of the event was the dance theatre, Bihan: A Musical Journey, based on a poem by the Governor. Choreographed by Sharmila Biswas, the dance theatre focused on “awakening of one’s soul” with beautiful scenes from a village at daybreak stitched into a dance recital.

Nivedita Bhattacharya’s recitation and solo acting found mention in Tripathi’s speech. He said, “Unhone shabdo ko sahi arth ke sath aapke paas pouchhaya”, as he thanked everyone for making the evening a success. The event also saw the launch of the book, Hridoyer Korotol. A Bengali translation of author Pushpita Awasthi’s book, Hriday Ki Hatheli, was launched by the Governor.

As the evening drew to a close, the Governor invited guests for tea at the Raj Bhavan.